12 Days of Friendship
by Karuka Ikashi
Summary: 12 short fics based around Christmas themes set in the Be My Friend World. 10 yr old Kakashi and 9 yr old Iruka share their Christmas adventures while Kakashi's guardian, the Yellow Flash, just tries to stay sane.
1. Day 1: School Holidays

**A/N: As part of PrincessTylerBrief's Christmas Festival, I chose to participate in the 12 Days of Christmas challenge and will write 12 one shots every day until Christmas. All of this short fics are based on the Be My Friend world, so it'll make a lot more sense if you've read that, but it's not necessary. Here, Kakashi and Iruka are around 10 and 9 years old respectively. I'll leave you to figure out the rest on your own. ;) Enjoy!**

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Day 1: School Holidays

**Winter Break**

Kakashi shivered as he stepped out from his sensei's house onto the street. Winter was upon Konoha, and the first snowflakes had just started falling last night. Sensei had said there'd be no training today.

"Just go out there and have fun, 'Kashi-kun! I'm sure Iruka-kun will want to play in the snow with you."

"Fun he says," the silver-haired boy muttered as his body trembled again, "How can you have fun when it's so _cold _outside?"

The tiny chunnin didn't like the cold. Even after Sensei had forced him to wear the boots, _two _jackets, a hat pulled over his thick hair, and a black scarf over his mask…_Didn't do much good_, the nine-year-old thought to himself. _At least Iruka's house will be warm._ He started to trod through six inches of snow. Six inches is a lot when you're barely four and a half feet tall.

_He'll be getting out of school soon. I'll go wait for him, and then we can walk home together. _Kakashi made his way to the snow-covered swing on the edge of the academy grounds. Iruka always met him there when he knew Kakashi was coming. Even if Kakashi hadn't told him, he knew Iruka would check.

More snow started falling, and it felt colder and looked thicker than before. Kakashi squinted in the direction of the academy building, but there was no sign of anyone coming out just yet. _Must still be a bit early. Wish he'd hurry up, though. _It had been a while since it had snowed in Konoha. Kakashi wasn't built for it. He had only been on one mission that required going anywhere snowy, and all he remembered about it was being miserable the whole time. Sensei had made such a big fuss about him changing out of his ninja sandals before he got frostbite. Even in the new shoes, it had been wet and soggy. Fortunately, he had gotten a new pair of boots, and they seemed to be holding up better, though right now they were buried underneath the snow. He didn't remember it ever snowing while he was still at the academy himself, but he knew the new snowfall would probably bring lots of children out to play on the white-covered grounds surrounding him, but he hoped Iruka at least would wait until the worst of it was over before joining the chaos of snowball fights and snow forts. He probably wouldn't.

As time passed on, however, Kakashi was starting to feel a sting of doubt about whether the other boy was really coming to meet him or not. School should have been over for the day, but no one was coming out. Could he have made a mistake? The snow level was creeping up towards his knees and its coldness was making it hard for him to think. The chuunin buried his nose in his scarf, and the snow that had began to pile up on top of his head fell down towards his invisible feet. Classes – canceled? Why? Because of the snow, or-

His thoughts were interrupted as he saw a figure approaching him through the veil of falling snow. A boy was trudging in the deep-snow, slowly yet determinedly towards the tree with the swing. Kakashi's eyes widened as he recognized Iruka, covered from head to toe in clothes as thick as his were and teeth chattering into a smile.

"Kakashi! What are you doing out here?"

The silver-haired boy huffed. As if it wasn't _obvious. _

"Waiting for you," he replied, "You didn't tell me there was no school today."

"Well of course there isn't," the other boy replied, amused, "Been outside lately?"

"I guess I should have figured," Kakashi sighed, feeling a bit embarrassed now, but reluctant to show it.

"It was a snow day," Iruka confirmed, "but winter break was supposed to start tomorrow anyway. We just lucked out and got to go early."

"Good for you," Kakashi muttered, and tried to recover the portion of him that had been buried in icy whiteness.

Iruka gave him a confused look, wondering why the other boy seemed bitter all of a sudden. Shouldn't he be glad they had more time to spend together now? Iruka hadn't been able to contain himself when thinking about winter break and how much fun he and his best friend would have spending it together.

"Kakashi," he started, and the chuunin looked at him between his hat and scarf-covered nose, "were you really waiting all this time just for me? Out here in the snow?"

The other boy just shrugged.

"Same as usual."

"I'm sorry," the younger boy told him, looking guilty, "Really – you should have just gone home. Even if I had been in classes, I could have gotten back on my own. You didn't need to come freeze your toes off."

"My toes are fine," Kakashi said, smirking slyly beneath his mask, "but your face isn't."

"Huh? My fa-"

_Splat!_

With true ninja aim, Kakashi had planted a snowball right on his chin. Iruka flinched, but once he was over the shock, he knew what had to be done. Kakashi might have more advanced ninja skills, but Iruka had the snowball fight ones. Before Kakashi had time to get too far, Iruka already had his ammo prepared and ready to fire. Kakashi scrambled for more snowballs as Iruka aimed three at his head.

"Don't start what you can't finish!" the younger boy jeered.

Kakashi dodged the next round, but it was hard to move through the deep snow, and he staggered, dropping the next snowball he was carrying. _Only one way out of this. _With a fire jutsu, he melted all the snow in front of him as well as the snowballs Iruka had been throwing while they were still in midair. The chuunin took off towards the gate.

"Cheater!" the other boy's voice called out.

Iruka chased him, still loaded with snowballs and aiming at his fast moving target. Despite the chilly wind that blew against him and cut at the small strip of exposed skin on his face, Kakashi couldn't help but enjoy running around in a world that looked so different from the village he was used to – as long as there was a hot cup of cocoa waiting for him and his friend when he got back home.


	2. Day 2: Hot Cocoa

Day 2: Hot Cocoa

**Marshmallows Over Snow**

It was the second day of Iruka's winter break, and already Kakashi was wondering how he was going to have enough energy to keep his excited friend busy. They had already had a snowball fight _twice _today. The younger boy had challenged him to a snowman-building contest, but had failed to mention how they were going to be judged, so Kakashi had built the biggest snowman he possibly could and even fashioned a wooden shuriken out of a few twigs to stick on its outstretched hand.

"A snow ninja!" Kakashi declared, "Beat that."

Iruka intended to. He picked up speed, trying to make his just as tall, and he even gave it a whole branch to use as a katana, but unfortunately, he had made the mistake of building his snowman too close to Kakashi's towering terror. Before he knew it, the monster's oversized head had tumbled off and collided with Iruka's precariously balanced creation, sending it all falling to the ground in one big white heap. The two boys stared at it until Iruka finally muttered his defeat.

"…Assassinated."

Next, the younger boy had suggested a snow fort, but Kakashi had decided he was frozen enough to take a break from the snow for a while. Now they were back inside, huddled near the fire Sensei had built for them. Kakashi tossed off the bothersome hat and mittens and sighed as he felt the frozen parts of his face thaw out a bit and his hands and feet warm themselves near the flames. Iruka looked comfortable too, but he looked longingly at the snow outside the window now and then. Feeling the pleasant heat of the fire, Kakashi almost couldn't imagine going outside again anytime soon. Sure it was fun, but there had to be something else they could do that didn't require freezing.

"You boys warm enough?" a friendly voice asked behind him.

Kakashi turned to see his guardian standing with an armful of blankets and a grin on his face.

"Iruka, I'm surprised you can get Kakashi to stay out so long in the snow. I usually have to force him just to get out the door."

The silver-hair boy frowned at him, but tried not to look unwelcoming to those blankets. He took off another layer that consisted of a heavy jacket Sensei had insisted he wear over his normal one. It was warm enough by the fire that he didn't need it. He pulled his mask off too – the fire was drying it a bit, but it was still damp and cold and clung uncomfortably tight to his skin. His sensei dumped the blankets on top of them, and Iruka laughed as he tried to find a way out from beneath his, at least to poke his head out of. Kakashi pulled his around him tightly, feeling content.

"Guess I should warm you up on the inside too," Sensei said, "How about some hot cocoa?"

"Yeah!" Iruka agreed enthusiastically, and Kakashi's lump of blanket moved up and down, which the blonde man took for a nod.

"Alright, then, I'll get it started."

While Sensei was in the kitchen, Iruka amused himself by poking Kakashi through the blanket from where the chuunin couldn't see. Kakashi put up with it for a while until the prodding got incessant. Then, he figured it was time to call out the ninken – extra warmth for one thing, and a new target for Iruka for another. Sensei wondered why the lump under the blanket had just grown at least eight times its size when he returned with two hot mugs.

Kakashi had to shuffle his way around the dogs to get to his cup of cocoa. Iruka sipped his pleasantly, thoroughly enjoying the rich hot chocolate flavor seeping into his mouth. Sensei had even piled on the marshmallows, supplying Iruka with the mini ones he knew to be his favorite while appeasing Kakashi with what the chuunin insisted were more manly giant ones.

"A real ninja won't have it any other way," Kakashi told the younger boy.

"A real ninja doesn't boast about the size of his marshmallows," his sensei corrected him, and they all had a laugh. Even Pakkun's wrinkled face lifted.

The boys finished off their cups slowly, less by choice and more to keep from burning their tongues. They let the warmth flow through them, warming every inch the fire failed to reach until they were cozy both inside and out. The nindogs curled up close around them, and for the rest of the night, they all listened to Sensei tell stories about missions he had taken in the snow and what ninja had done to keep from freezing back then. This was how he had become fond of cocoa. Taking a glance at the snow-beaten window, Kakashi felt lucky to be right where he was.


	3. Day 3: Baking

Day 3: Baking

**Cookies for All**

Iruka half-ran, half-skidded towards Kakashi's house, where he had been invited for the night. The snow was icy beneath his feet and he had a hard time keeping from falling at the speed he was going. The snow was coming down hard now, too much even for him. The thought of Kakashi's warm house made him determined to get there as soon as possible. He had been spending so much time there lately that Sensei had invited him to spend the night so that they could all start decorating the house in the morning. Iruka's parents had agreed. Their own decorations had been up for quite a while already, and they had no objection to letting their son help get the Yellow Flash's household started. Both Sensei and Kakashi had been too busy with missions earlier in the month to bother digging out the Christmas stuff. Iruka wouldn't stand for an undecorated house, though, and was taking it upon himself to bring in the Christmas spirit.

That was the big plan for tomorrow, anyway. Tonight, there was just dinner and baking that Sensei had promised. Iruka was already thinking about what kind of cookies he wanted to make. The blonde man had failed to mention what exactly they would be cooking up.

He finally reached the doorway and knocked hurriedly. Kakashi answered the door and let his shivering friend inside. Iruka took off his boots and put on the slippers that the other boy provided. Then, together, they made their way towards the kitchen where Sensei was already getting started.

"Good to see you, Iruka," the blonde man said, turning away from the pot he had boiling on the stove, "I was just getting dinner started so you boys wouldn't have to wait too long to eat. It's chicken udon tonight."

"Sounds good!" Iruka said excitedly.

A hot bowl of soup was just perfect for a night like this. Iruka also knew a well-kept secret of Konoha – that the Yellow Flash was an excellent cook. He hadn't started out as one, but after taking Kakashi in, the blonde man had started to pay more attention to what was going into his (and his charge's) stomach. A few cookbooks and a lot of practice had gone a long way.

The boys waited patiently for Sensei to finish the udon, whose smell filled the kitchen and dining area, making their mouths water. When it was ready and served, they slurped it down, barely pausing, until the warmth sat content in their bellies. Iruka gave a happy sigh.

"That was so good!"

"Thanks, Sensei," Kakashi said.

"Glad you liked it," the blonde man replied, "Now let's get to work on that baking, shall we?"

Both boys nodded in agreement and joined the Yellow Flash in the kitchen. There were already pans and ingredients set out. Iruka tried to guess what they were making by looking at it all, but he realized that it could really be anything. Finally he asked.

"So what are we baking?"

"Lots of things," Sensei told him, "but you and Kakashi can get started on those gingerbread cookies. Just follow the directions there."

He indicated a small book by the mixing bowl. Kakashi started reading the ingredients off to him, which Iruka gathered and put into the bowl in the order that the other boy told him to.

"No, eggs first Iruka, not sugar."

"Does it really matter?" the younger boy grumbled.

"Actually, you're supposed to separate wet and dry ingredients at first," Sensei told them.

"Not for this recipe," Kakashi insisted stubbornly.

While this debate continued, Iruka dumped everything he could into the bowl and started stirring rapidly. _It's all going to taste the same anyway…right?_

It turned out Sensei had been right, but the gingerbread cookies had still come out edible. Kakashi and Iruka had rolled the dough flat and cut shapes into it – some of gingerbread ninja, shuriken, kunai, and nindogs. Sensei took them out of the oven for the boys to decorate with the icing they had prepared while waiting for the cookies to be done. Iruka spread a layer all over the top of one of shuriken as Kakashi worked on a nindog. Not many cookies lasted long after they were finished.

"What?! You didn't save me some?" the Yellow Flash asked, looking comically aghast.

"You can have this one," Kakashi said, offering him the rest of the kunai cookie he had just bitten the tip off of.

"That's alright," the blonde man said, "I guess this just means I don't have to share any of mine with you."

Behind him, Iruka could see a few plates of the other cookies he had baked while the two of them were busy with the gingerbread. There were so many different kinds, colorful and delicious-looking despite the fact that his stomach was full of gingerbread. Iruka looked at Sensei hopefully.

"We can make you some more."

"Don't worry about it," the blonde man laughed, "I was just kidding."

He let Kakashi and Iruka take their pick and started cleaning up the mess they had made on the other side of the kitchen. The Yellow Flash's cookies were mostly round, but there were a few that were more interestingly shaped. They smelled so good! Iruka wasn't sure which one to try first. He and Kakashi ate cookies from various plates, and as he put each one in his mouth, he tried to guess which kind it was. _Peppermint. Shortbread. Almond. Peanut. _Iruka picked up one that looked like a butterfly to him and took a bite. The taste in his mouth wasn't sweet at all, though. If anything it was salty and just…strange. Iruka forced a swallow and stuck his tongue out.

"Gah! What kind of cookie is _this?_"

Kakashi's eyes widened when he saw what Iruka was holding – a candy cane shape with a bone over it. He tried to suppress his laughter, but failed, leaving Iruka looking bewildered.

"Dog biscuit."


	4. Day 4: Decorations

Day 4: Decorations

**Bringing in the Spirit**

For a ninja, the holiday season was never easy. There was always a chance of getting called away at the last minute, of having to break promises to family, of not being able to sincerely tell anyone "I'll be back in time for Christmas," because the truth was, you could never know. Most shinobi tried not to think about it too much, but it was a hard fact to ignore, and when any mission could be your last, you made the most of the time you had. That's what the Yellow Flash always told himself when this season rolled around. It was different now that he had Kakashi to look after. He wasn't the only one he had to live for. He became even more intent on making every moment count and put extra effort into making each Christmas special.

As morning came, the blonde man blinked sleepily and willed himself to get up and start getting ready to decorate the house. He felt unusually tired, though, and the world outside seemed so cold compared to the warmth beneath his covers. He stuck one foot out and slipped it back in almost just as fast. Why did it have to be so _cold?_ You'd think that a jounin would be able to deal with it.

Sensei didn't have much time to debate whether or not he wanted to leave bed right away, though, because a few moments later, Iruka and Kakashi both rushed into his room and stood next to his bed.

"It's time to get up, Sensei," Kakashi informed him.

"Yeah, you said we'd decorate in the morning!" Iruka said, looking ready to jump on top of the man's feet if he didn't keep his promise.

"You two sure have a lot of energy on this chilly morning," Sensei remarked, amused, "Okay, okay. Just give me a minute."

He pushed his covers off him and shivered, stiff on the bed.

"Come _on_, Sensei," Kakashi told him, "It's not that hard."

The silver-haired boy reached down to grab his mentor's slippers and pulled them over the blonde man's large feet while Iruka fetched a dark red robe. The Yellow Flash laughed embarrassedly at the help he was getting, but didn't complain. _I have to do it – for them. _

Soon, the three of them were in the living room, where a bunch of boxes sat awaiting them. Sensei had pulled them down from the attic the night before, after the boys had gone to bed. The boxes were filled with decorations, a good amount of which was made up of ornaments for the Christmas tree that they had yet to acquire. The rest were decorations for the living room, kitchen, or outside the front door. Kakashi and Iruka started opening boxes immediately and digging through their contents.

"Don't you boys at least want breakfast first?" the Yellow Flash asked them.

"Not yet," Kakashi replied, shuffling through the box marked "Kitchen", "We have to get the dish sets out first."

The chuunin lifted a newspaper-wrapped item out of the box and unwrapped it to reveal a Christmas-themed plate covered with snowflakes and little blue snowmen. Iruka's eyes widened in excitement, and he quickly helped Kakashi pull out the rest of the dishes and cups to set the table with. While they were busy with that, the Yellow Flash went into the kitchen and started preparing breakfast.

As they all sat at the table and ate from the snow plates, Sensei eyed the real snowflakes that were coming down outside. How could something so beautiful be so…annoying? He felt a chill even through his slippers and robe, and after they had finished, the blonde man decided it would be best to start a fire to warm up the house a bit.

The boys were back to digging through the boxes, and with every box, more and more treasures were unearthed. Kakashi and Iruka strung some holly over the fireplace and set up Kakashi's and Sensei's stockings on their holders. Iruka's own stocking was already waiting at home, hung over the fireplace among his parent's.

Next came the little statues and candles. Sensei liked snowmen, if the dish set could be any indication, and there were plenty of little figures of snowmen of all shapes and sizes, some wearing scarves and earmuffs, some even dressed in shinobi wear and holding tiny kunai or shuriken. It was easy for Iruka to see where Kakashi got his snow ninja ideas.

"Don't put the candles too close to the snowmen, or they'll melt," the blonde man joked.

Kakashi placed a few candles on the mantle near the stocking holders, while Iruka played around with the arrangement of the snowmen figures down below. Sensei grabbed the outdoor decorations box and slid them near the door. Maybe later he'd muster up the nerve to go out in the cold to set them up – in a coat, not his robe.

He returned to help Iruka with the snowmen and showed the younger boy where to arrange some more statues on the windowsill so the villagers of Konoha could see them as they passed by. The boys were delighted by how much more the newly decorated living room made it feel like Christmas, and once all the indoor boxes were emptied, they hurried to the outdoor ones and started taking out more ornaments and such to set up before Sensei even had a chance to join them. Instead, the Yellow Flash watched from the window, smiling at the sight of the two boys running around sticking plastic candy canes up on the lawn and scattering tinsel on the bushes that was actually supposed to be used for the tree but had somehow ended up in the wrong box. When they had finished, Kakashi started rolling a large ball for a snowman he knew his Sensei would appreciate. Iruka began working on his own not too far away. The Yellow Flash changed into his warm clothes so that he could go outside to bring them carrots for noses. The boys attacked him with snowballs for staying inside for so long, but accepted the carrots, which finally made their creations complete. The blonde man was pleased that they had turned out so well and praised the boys for their work. _If I do get called away on a mission, _he thought,_ this is what I'll remember while I'm gone_. The spirit had finally come. Outside the warm house full of Christmas décor, two new snowmen stood side by side, looking content to be with one another, smiling at everyone who passed.


	5. Day 5: Christmas Tree

Day 5: Christmas Tree

**White Branches**

After being harassed all morning for still not having a Christmas Tree up, Sensei decided it was finally time to get one. All the other decorations were ready, and the boys insisted that it was the only thing left that they needed to make it really feel like Christmas. Even with Sensei's snowmen scattered about the house and the stockings hanging by the fireplace, Kakashi's with a large scarecrow face spread across it and Sensei's with a yellow lighting bolt striking down, the living room still felt empty. No tree meant no lights, and the ornaments still sat neglected in their boxes. It was a problem that had to be solved soon.

"The tree's the most important part," Kakashi kept reminding him.

At last, Sensei had give in. There was a place near the central part of the village where a man sold trees that had been grown just outside of Konoha. It was where Kakashi and Sensei always got their tree, and where Iruka's family had gotten theirs earlier. After lunch, the trio headed for the lot, dressed from head to toe in warm clothes for trudging through the snow. Iruka slid along the slick street in his boots, seeing how far he could go from a running start.

"You're going to fall flat on your face," Kakashi warned.

"Not with _my _sense of balance," Iruka assured him, and of course, met the expected fate only a moment later.

Fortunately, he landed right in a snow bank and avoided a smashed nose. Kakashi went over to help his friend up, and they laughed at the imprint left behind by Iruka's head and outstretched arms.

A couple blocks and not too many slips later, they finally arrived at the place. The boys stared at rows and rows of trees all much bigger than themselves, and tried to figure out where to start. The trees were divided by size and type. Sensei always got a Douglas Fir, at least seven feet tall, so it would almost touch the ceiling in their living room. Kakashi led the way to a section of trees fitting the usual description, and he and Iruka debated which one was the best.

"This one's the tallest."

"This one has longer branches."

"This one isn't shaped funny."

"This one isn't half dead already."

"This one _smells _better."

Kakashi at the younger boy.

"..._What_?"

"Well, I think _that _one's the best," Iruka said, pointing at a frosted tree standing at the end of the row.

"It's…white," Kakashi remarked.

"No, really?"

"We've never had a white tree before."

"So? That doesn't mean you can't have one now. Look at how cool it is! It'll be like it's snowing inside the house too!"

"I'm sure Sensei would _love _that," Kakashi scoffed.

The Yellow Flash was preoccupied with the wreaths and mistletoe hanging near the small shack on the other side of the lot. He didn't notice Iruka shaking the white tree to see how much of the "snow" would come off while Kakashi tried to herd him away from the mess he was making and back toward the normal trees. The blonde man picked a wreath he liked and ventured over to the Douglas Firs.

"You're covered in…_stuff!_" Kakashi said as he pointed at the white fuzz on Iruka's shirt disapprovingly.

"It's okay," Iruka told him, "At least it's not as cold as real snow. I kind of look like the tree," he added, and tried to throw some real snow on Kakashi to match, but the chuunin dodged.

Sensei came around the corner and got some snow thrown on his pants.

"Hey now, you two. Did you find a tree you like?"

"That one!" Kakashi and Iruka both said at the same time, pointing to different trees.

Iruka, of course, chose the frosted one, while Kakashi pointed at a large, full-branched green Douglas Fir. The blonde man looked confused.

"Can't decide then, huh?"

"It's _my _house," Kakashi argued, crossing his arms, "I should get to pick. Iruka has his own tree."

"It's not your house, it's Sensei's!" Iruka shot back, "_He _should get to pick, and he likes _mine _the best. Right, Sensei?"

"Well, uh…"

The dumbfounded jounin stared back and forth between the two boys and the trees they were pointing at. He noticed the fuzz on Iruka's shirt and suppressed a laugh. Kakashi was giving him that stubborn look that he had when he knew he was being childish but wasn't about to admit it.

"I suppose it is Kakashi's choice, Iruka-kun," he ruled gently, "He gets to pick the tree for our house just like you got to pick the tree for yours. That doesn't mean it still can't be all of ours, though. We'll all decorate it together."

Iruka was disappointed, but didn't argue anymore. Kakashi uncrossed his arms and looked a little more pleased. Sensei bought the tall tree and together, the tree of them dragged it back to the house. It was a hassle to get it through the door, but they worked it out. Soon it was inside in the corner opposite the fireplace.

"Time to decorate!" Iruka said excitedly.

He grabbed the string of lights and handed them to Sensei to start wrapping above the top. Kakashi waited patiently near the middle of the tree to take it when Sensei had reached his level, and then, he and Iruka passed the lights around the tree to each other to finish it off.

Next came the ornaments, which were made up of a mix of Sensei's snowmen, little Santa Clauses, some golden and red orbs, a few ninja-themed ones, and a lot of random ornaments that couldn't really be put in a specific category. Kakashi hung up some orbs and snowmen while Sensei grabbed the tinsel and started wrapping it around the tree the same way he had done with the lights. Iruka busied himself with the Santas. They were all very different – some had traditional poses: Santa standing with a bag of toys, Santa sitting in a sleigh, Santa eating a cookie…Then there were the unique Santas: skiing Santa, dancing Santa, a Santa eating ramen, and Kakashi's personal favorite, Shinobi Santa.

"What is _this?_"

"Shinobi Santa," the chuunin said, as if it should be obvious.

"I've never seen anything like this before," Iruka said, still fascinated, "Santa as a ninja?"

"Why shouldn't he be?" Kakashi asked him, adding a little nindog with antlers next to it, "How do you think he breaks into people's houses and sneaks around without waking anyone up? How do you think he makes it all around the world in one night? It has to be a jutsu."

"He must be ANBU level at least," Iruka grinned, liking this idea more and more, "Maybe he makes himself a bunch of clones, and they all spread out everywhere!"

"Or it could be a teleportation jutsu," Kakashi put in, "Like Sensei's."

"I'm sure Mr. A-rank Claus has a better jutsu than mine," the Yellow Flash laughed as he finished putting up his portion of the ornaments, "There! I think we're done."

The three of them stood back and admired the tree for a while.

"Wait!" Iruka gasped, and went back to shuffle through the discarded newspaper the ornaments had been wrapped in.

Kakashi and Sensei watched curiously to see what Iruka would find. The young boy's hand clutched something hard, and he pulled out a silver star that looked like a shuriken.

"Here," he said, handing it to Sensei.

"Of course! How could I forget?" the blonde man asked, looking a bit embarrassed.

At least the other two had their shortness as an excuse for not knowing it was missing earlier. Sensei reached up as high as he could and placed the shuriken-star at the very top of the tree.

"Now it's complete," Kakashi declared with a nod.

Iruka smiled approvingly. Now it really felt like Christmas, no doubt about it. Sensei walked back to the front door and hung up the wreath he had bought outside. The snow, which had stopped falling for a long time, came down again softly. It landed on the wreath and frosted it, like the white branches of the tree at the lot. It was so festive, so unique, a direct contrast to the warm green tree that had found refuge inside the house. Sensei rather liked the look…

Later, he found the puddle on the living room floor from melted snow that Iruka had tried to "frost" the tree with less amusing.


	6. Day 6: Ice Skating

Day 6: Ice Skating

**Breaking the Ice**

"Hurry up, 'Kashi! Are you just going to stand there and stare at it?"

Kakashi eyed the frozen pond before him warily. He didn't trust the frozen water, but he wasn't sure why. He had an easy enough time walking on regular water, but he _knew _regular water. Something about the skating rink was just so foreign to him. He didn't know how to move on the ice – it wasn't something Sensei had trained him to do. He could probably keep from slipping, just as long as he could use his chakra to keep his balance, but _skate? _He had never tried anything like that before.

"Come on, it's easy," Iruka reassured him.

The younger boy still had a hard time hiding his pride at being more experienced at something than his chuunin friend for once. He didn't have the nerve to treat the older boy like a student, but he wasn't going to let him forget who was the one who knew what he was doing. Maybe he could just coach him a bit.

"My parents and I always skate when the pond freezes," he told Kakashi, "Is this really your first time?"

"Sensei never showed me how," the older boy replied.

Needless to say no one else ever had either. Iruka slid over towards him and offered a hand.

"You can show yourself then. I'm sure it'll be easy for you."

His words were warm and built Kakashi up with confidence. The chuunin put one foot boldly on the ice. He still wasn't used to the skates though and wobbled a bit. Finally, he had both feet on and was sliding slowly.

"That's it!" Iruka cheered, "Now just try moving them so you can go the way you want."

Kakashi tried steering himself, but it was harder than it looked. He didn't want to pick up one of his feet out of fear of losing his balance but it was too difficult to turn his skates without lifting them off the ice for a moment. He turned his body the way he wanted to go, but his feet didn't follow.

"Step in the direction you want to skate," Iruka suggested, "Don't worry about falling. You can do it quick and catch yourself if you lose your balance."

He stood next to the older boy, wondering if he should be ready to catch him, but he knew the chuunin wouldn't want to be babied. The best way was to let him learn on his own. Kakashi took a bold step, determined to show that he was not afraid. If his friend could do it, then why couldn't he? Kakashi showed just a little too much confidence, though, and stepped so hard that the slippery impact surprised him, and before he knew it, his arms were flailing and he was on his back. Iruka stood over him, with his arms outreached as if clutching the invisible chuunin who was now lying on the ice.

Kakashi looked up to see Iruka staring down at him with a mixture of guilt and amusement on his face.

"Don't step so hard," he offered as late advice, "You're not trying to break the ice."

"Yeah," was all Kakashi was able to mumble before he let Iruka grab his hand and pull him to his feet.

Iruka was determined not to let his friend fall again. He skated close to Kakashi, steadying the chuunin when he started to sway too much to one side or wobble. Kakashi pretended to be annoyed by the extra help at first, but had to admit that he felt more relaxed and confident now that he knew he had Iruka there to catch him. They took the first large turn around the pond slowly but successfully. Kakashi was beginning to enjoy the weightless feeling of sliding over the ice so easily, moving so far with such little effort. As he became more comfortable, he bravely sped up the pace, leaving Iruka trailing behind him at beginner's speed.

"Not so fast, Kakashi! You have to practice some more first!" the younger boy called out from behind him.

_Haven't I practiced enough? _Kakashi thought stubbornly, _I can do this._

He was used to being a fast learner, and while he might not be an expert yet, he was good enough to step up to the next level at least. As he approached the next turn, Iruka raced behind him as fast as he could go. At one point, the younger boy stumbled forward, but caught himself and continued his pursuit. He didn't think he'd make it in time, but just as Kakashi lifted a skate to take the turn, Iruka pulled up next to him and reached out towards him. He caught his friend the moment the older boy's legs got tangled from skates moving in two different directions.

What Iruka didn't count on, though, was the force of Kakashi's fall, strengthened by the rapid speed that the chuunin had been going. It bowled the smaller boy over, and the two of them went down together, Iruka clutching onto Kakashi, the chuunin's eyes wide with alarm. They didn't stop after they had hit the ground, either. Their layers of clothes had helped soften the impact, but they also continued sliding fast, barely slowing down before they hit the snow bank with a loud thump. Kakashi, who had landed on top of the other boy, went flying even further.

Iruka groaned as he sat up, brushing the snow off of him and aching a bit. He saw the chuunin sitting deeper in the bank, two eyes glaring at him between the snow bank and the pile on top of his fluffy silver hair. The younger boy frowned.

"What? I was trying to help you, you know!"

"You surprised me! I wouldn't have fallen if I had been able to concentrate on the turn."

"I _surprised _you?You would have fallen anyway! I should be mad at you for taking me down with you!"

"It's your own fault for getting in the way."

"Quit trying to blame it on me! What kind of chuunin are you?"

He received a snowball in the face as a reply. The younger boy retaliated quickly, though and soon buried what was left of Kakashi in the snow. By the time the silver-haired boy dug himself out, Iruka was already on his feet, laughing as he slid back across the ice. He launched an extra snowball he had been carrying, which exploded on the front of Kakashi's jacket as the chuunin struggled to stand among the snow on his shaky skates. He lost his balance at the same time, making it look like the snowball had knocked him down. Despite knowing his disadvantage, Kakashi rose again and took off onto the ice, skidding between ungraceful glides as he pursued the other boy around the rink. Iruka slid with ease, staying just out of the chuunin's reach but close enough – so Kakashi could "concentrate."


End file.
